The Beginner’s Guide to Dim Sum
Submitted by Sabrina Lee
For as long as I can remember, Sunday mornings have always consisted of eating dim sum in a crowded and loud Cantonese restaurant at 11 AM with my closest friends and family. Dim sum, also known as yum cha, which means “drink tea” in Cantonese, is a wide variety of small dishes often served in bamboo steamer baskets and typically paired alongside a cup of tea.
While dim sum originally began in tea houses, specifically in Hong Kong, and is typically eaten for breakfast or brunch, I have always associated this meal with spending quality time with my family, sipping on tea, and simply enjoying great food together.
Dim sum is generally eaten family-style, where all the small plates are shared among everyone and you have the opportunity to try everything. My advice to any first time dim sum restaurant-goers is to be open to trying everything and anything at least once! Here are some tips and tricks for all you newcomers…
First things first, you must pick your choice of tea for the table once you’re seated. Growing up, this was always the hardest decision, not because I couldn’t decide which of my favorite teas I was in the mood for, but because there are just way too many options to pick from and pronounce wrong.
These are some of my go-to teas to order, but I’d just suggest yelling out the first one that comes to your mind because odds are it’ll be good!
Pu’er 普洱, a Black Tea (Bo-Lay in Cantonese)
Bo Lay has somewhat of a stronger earthy flavor and is more of an acquired taste.
Chrysanthemum 菊花茶 (Gook-Fa in Cantonese)
Gook- Fa has a lighter flavor than Bo-Lay and is a little bit sweeter.
Blend (Black & Chrysanthemum) 菊普 (Gook-Bo in Cantonese)
If you can’t decide, get the best of both worlds with a refreshing blend of the two teas
Now it’s time for the food! Servers will begin roaming around the restaurant with carts filled with different types of food. It is normal to order a mix of sweet and savory dishes during your meal, but my personal favorite is the sweets cart because it includes sweet buns, egg tarts, and almond pudding. You can either tell the servers directly or if you’re not too confident in your Chinese, you can just point to the dish you want. I am always hungry in the morning before the dim sum, so this process makes the wait for food extremely short! Every time you order a dish, the server will mark your table’s place card, which you’ll eventually present to the hostess at the front of the restaurant as your receipt.
Check out a few of my favorite dim sum dishes that I could never leave without ordering:
